Their fate
by Sakura Alexia
Summary: She wonders, if finally, it is her turn to to do her own part. She ponders more on what Maya's words about sacrifice truly mean.


Ever since she was a child, Lilith always dreamed to meet someone like her, she was a Siren, born as one, and she longed to meet anyone that would share the same trait, and struggles that came with being different from any other person. And perhaps, even get to know why they existed.

Once she hit the age of 25, she felt ready to take on the world and explore its wonders and dangers. There was this one planet that called her name, Pandora, far away at the very end of the galaxy, she had heard of the legend of the Vault, of the fame and fortune, but also, she had heard that apparently, there was another of her kind there. With a lot of hope in her heart, she leaves Dionysus behind to chase her childhood dream.

The first one she meets, does not appear to her like a Siren, she's speaking in her head and honestly, it does freak her out a bit. She introduces herself as the Guardian Angel, and she claims that she's there to help her, and the others she found herself tagging along with.

It doesn't take long however, for her to accept Angel's ever constant presence, she doesn't mind hearing her voice and feeling her knowing eyes on her. Knowing she was there with them, was comforting at times, it never made her feel lonely.

Not much after they reach New Haven, and finally having some downtime to rest a bit, she doesn't hesitate to tell Angel of her dream during one night as the others slept. The way the AI reacts is weird, almost surprised, she hides it quickly under one of her sweet smiles, but the thing doesn't go unnoticed by Lilith, and for a moment she swears, Angel almost appears human.

The conversation continues before Lilith can question her behavior, and the AI tells her about this one Commander of the Atlas Corporation, Helga Steele was her name, and she was the Siren she head about back on her home planet. She becomes eager to meet this woman, however, something told her that it wouldn't be any easy.

Her hunch is proven to be correct when much later, Tannis is kidnapped and it is Steele herself that wants her, her knowledge, and the key they had retrieved all the fragments of and brought to the scientist. She stole both an ally, and the source of all their hard work right from them, but they swore to get it back.

She and Steele do not exactly meet, but, she can feel her eyes on her as the woman stares down as they confront her men. Once they were defeated but before she had the chance to say anything, the woman leaves, but, since they were now enemies, Lilith knew they would meet again. Silently, she wonders if the other woman is just as curious to know her as she is.

They see each other again at the Vault itself, and honestly, she would lie, if she didn't feel excited to confront another Siren in battle, to discover what powers she possessed. She does not get that opportunity however, because as soon as the Vault opens, the monster inside doesn't waste time in making victims, and Steele ends up being its very first.

Lilith is frozen in place, as she can't help but watch as the other Siren is impaled, swept away and eaten like a chew toy from said monster. She was gone, just like that, with a scream that was sure was going to haunt her forever, and with it, so is her dream. Her anger burns like a fire as she fights that creature that took away her hopes in a mere fraction.

The anger doesn't subside as they find out that Angel had lied to them, the Vault was not full of riches like she claimed and also, what hurts her more, is that she knew about what was inside of it, and she still led them to it. Had she said anything, she could have warned Steele about it, perhaps she could have saved her even, but she couldn't, because Angel lied, she lied all along.

Her trust is gone and their friendship is broken, she hears Angel begging her to give her a chance to explain, but she doesn't let her talk.

"Don't ever talk to me again" she speaks with such venom that she didn't even know she could, she was done with the AI, she didn't want to hear her voice ever again.

Despite her best efforts, it takes her a lot to not miss Angel's presence, but she swore she would not let herself be fooled again. And so, time passes and she finds herself almost too busy to even spare a thought to the AI, now there's Jack to think about, to try and not let him become a threat to Pandora.

But he does, and partially it is Lilith's fault. It is her fault for not killing him when she could have.

Things only go south from there, and she ends up regretting leaving him alive even more. When their home in New Haven is destroyed, she gives it all, but its not enough, still, she manages to save the other guys, she has them leave her behind. She had already lost her dreams, she wouldn't lose what little else she had left.

She manages to get Hyperion to chase after her, she drives them away for what she can, in the frozen tundra, but she's tired, and hurt, so she falls in the snow, coating it in red with her blood. This is the end, she believes, but at least, she saved her friends.

But, she doesn't die, Roland manages to find her before she can, he saved her when she should have saved him. He takes her to their new home, Sanctuary, but she can't stay there, as soon as she recovered, she would have to hide. Hyperion believed they killed her, and for her safety, it would be best if they kept thinking that way. Together, they find her a refuge in a remote cave in Frostburn Canyon.

Still,hiding in the shadows, she does her best to aid Roland in this war, driving bandits away from Sanctuary so he can focus on the threat of Hyperion instead. She spends days, months even, fighting away the previous residents of the city, and when she didn't, she spent her time in enhancing her powers with Eridium. She doesn't know why, but she can use the substance to gain more power and also heal herself, which for the situation she was in, was very much useful.

During this time she makes herself a name among the bandits, they call her the Firehawk, and honestly, she doesn't mind it. Something she does mind however, is her relationship with Roland, it falls apart, a bit because of this war, but also she knows its her fault, again, and the Eridium, she'd become addicted, she knew it, but it felt so good that she didn't want to stop.

Eventually they break up, and it even goes worse when Roland gets taken by the Bloodshots, however a small spark lights up in her, when she sees that new group of Vault Hunters that survived Jack, and most importantly, she sees her. Yellow bodysuit, cargo pants, blue hair, and most importantly, blue tattoos wrapped around her bare left arm. Another Siren. Lilith's childhood dream is restored.

Her introduction to the other woman is not the best she ever pulled off, she was exhausted from fighting, and from the lack of Eridium in her body, so, she ends up collapsing right in front of her. She doesn't hit the ground like she expected, someone had caught her before she could, opening her eyes she sees another pair of them, gray ones, staring down at her, with evident worry. The other Siren asking her if she was okay.

She recovers quickly enough, and she, together with the new Vault Hunters, manage to drive away the Bloodshots for good. And for the first time, she sees other Siren abilities in action, the woman, Maya was her name, was capable of locking people in the air, so very different from her Phasewalk abilities.

Unfortunately, they do not have time to sit down and talk, not until Maya and the others come back with Roland safely. She eagerly awaits her return more than for Roland's. Her chance to meet face to face with another Siren was gone years ago, she wasn't about to let this second one go at all. Especially since Maya was an ally and not an enemy.

Lilith visits her in her room, the other Siren is sitting on her bed, she's wearing regular clothes and the redhead can clearly see bandages on her leg where she's been shot. Regardless, Maya doesn't seem bothered by it nor her presence, all the opposite, she invites her to sit next to her and have a very, very long chat.

She finds out why Maya came to Pandora, and she discovers that it was the exact reason she had long ago too. To know more about their race. Sadly, she meets Maya's hopes with nothing, but she eases her worries with a kind smile.

"We'll find out together then" she says, and Lilith can't do anything but agree.

They find out more about their own unique abilities, they train together, spar together, and Lilith quickly finds how much she's been relying on her own powers to make up for her lack of hand-to-hand combat abilities. Something Maya seemed very well trained for.

Regardless, Maya is patient, very much so, in teaching her, in exchange, she helps her hone her mastery of elements, quickly enough she becomes able to fly just like her. The blue haired woman smiles as she hovers above her with her own fiery wings.

During said time though, she discovers something weird about Maya, while she appears to be very intelligent, there was something about her that made her look inexperienced in most things, that she tries to hide behind her knowledge. It is something Lilith doesn't understand, given the age of the other woman, with her being just barely a year younger than herself. There was something deeper within her, however the redhead doesn't dare to press on it, she already ruined many things in the past, and her developing friendship with Maya is not something she wants to mess up.

Peace doesn't last long, and once again, they are separated from one another. When Sanctuary falls under attack from Hyperion, Lilith gives her everything once again so they can take the city away and up in the sky. Maya is standing right next to her, trying to help, but it takes Lilith a fraction of a second to lose control of her powers and she is swept away. In vain she tries to reach for her as she disappears, teleported away who knows where, and she is only left with the image of terrified silver eyes as Maya calls her name, filling her head.

As soon as they reappear, her immediate first instinct is to reach for her ECHO and call her, it didn't matter how exhausted the experience left her, she had to know, wherever Maya ended up to, if she was okay or if she needed help. She would never forgive herself if she hurt her, or worse.

To her relief, Maya picks up almost immediately, sounding even more worried than Lilith herself, she informs her that, even if stranded in the frozen tundra, she and the rest were okay, and they were trying to find a way to get back.

But still, during the time she is away, Lilith is restless, and it doesn't pass until she sees a familiar blue tuft of hair at the station, Maya was tired, wounded and full of blood and dirt, but she did not care when she ran up to her and hugged her tightly, she did not care if she got dirty too, she did not care if the other woman did not reciprocate, but just stood there in shock. Maya was alive and it was all that mattered to her in that moment.

Something she doesn't expect though, it was to see Angel again, she's contacted them one more, and, had she not done that, she wouldn't have realized how much she had missed the presence of the AI. However, the anger from her previous betrayal is still dominant, and Lilith can't bring herself to treat her nicely, but, as she keeps listening, she can't help but end up trusting in her once again. Especially, after she comes to know from Maya, that Angel had helped them make it back safely, they both agreed to give the AI another chance. They did not have much of choice after all.

What happens after leaves everyone devastated, Bloodwing's death is not something any of them expected nor wanted to happen. Every single one of them is shaken and mad at Jack for this, and each tries to cope in their own way, in Lilith's case, she drowns her sorrow with her Eridium stash and tears, like she does with the rest of her problems.

It is late into the night that, while wandering around the HQ, she finds Maya up too, she's outside on the balcony, sitting on the cold ground in a corner, all curled up with her face hidden, but from her whimpers and the way her shoulders were shaking, she was crying. And just at the sight for seeing her so vulnerable, Lilith feels like crying again too.

But she holds herself back, instead just sits beside her, placing a hand on the other woman's shoulder, startling her, she watches as she turns away from her, hastily wiping her eyes, trying to look like nothing happened. Lilith lets her know that it is okay, that she doesn't have to hold her feelings back.

Maya doesn't answer her, but she seems to ponder on her words, a lot, which is something Lilith doesn't really expect. She does not expect what the other Siren does after either, she shyly leans her head on her shoulder, and Lilith lets her do it.

"Could... could you hold me for a little bit?" Maya asks, her voice small, embarrassed, her eyes not meeting hers.

Lilith doesn't need to be told twice, she wraps her arms around her and holds her close as she weeps, and this time, she can't hold in a few tears herself. But it feels good, it feels, liberating for them both. Yet, despite the moment of sadness, she ends up wondering why Maya acts so weird when it comes to anything regarding affection, she seemed more stranger to it than Roland even.

It is not until the day after that she gets her answer, without even asking for it. She finds in her room a few recordings and a note. "Thanks for yesterday Lilith, here, I know you're curious, but I can't bring myself to talk about this yet, but I owe you, so please, listen" that was what it read. And so, she turns the recordings on, and what she hears, she thinks its atrocious.

She gets to know from where Maya comes from, Athenas she always heard was a peaceful planet, but there was something darker behind it, and her friend had been caught right in the middle of it without asking for it, she just never had a choice. She had been lied to and used like a tool from the people that were supposed to care for her. But also, it explained why she wasn't used at being with people and acting well... normal. Always guarded, to not be used again, cold and distant, because she didn't know what human contact was. Poor thing.

And the fact that she allowed herself to open up to her, makes Lilith feel special, it makes her feel important. At the same time, she was amazed of Maya too, despite the way she was raised, to be a monster, to be a killer, she was instead the kindest being she ever met, and Lilith swears, she would protect this part of her.

She sees her in the tiny kitchen not too long after, she asks her if she listened to the recordings, she nods at her, and even if she doesn't say it, there's a mute question in those gray eyes, what did she think about it?

"Maya, you don't need to face this alone, we're here to help, I am here to help. You have friends now"

She sees her think at her words, but then she nods, very much convinced, but she still extended the invite to her too, she will keep it in mind, should she need some comfort herself. It was there, that Lilith realized, she truly and genuinely cared for Maya.

But it isn't until it comes the time to assault the Bunker and Angel's chambers that she starts truly fearing for her friend. Not only there could be any kind of dangers in there, but the AI's cryptic message leaves her thinking. Why wasn't she allowed in the chambers but Maya was? Weren't they both Sirens? Was she trying to trick them again? What if this was a trap?

Once the Vault Hunters enter the chambers though, she has the revelation of her lifetime, and with it, all the regrets from years ago come back to her too, for blaming Angel when it was all her father's fault. But most importantly, she had blamed her of destroying her dream when she had been her dream all along, she was the first Siren she met, she had been there all along, and, even if she had Maya now, Lilith felt so stupid for not seeing it sooner. She was too human for being an AI, and she should have realized something was behind it all along.

She couldn't sit still any longer, and she teleported over to her chambers, not caring about the warning given, she had to be there. Her friends needed her, Angel needed her. The look the young Siren gives her is of worry, despite all she had done to her, she still worried for her? It wasn't how it was supposed to be, it wasn't how any of this was supposed to be.

Once the last of the injector falls, its a rush towards her, Lilith kneels next to Angel and holds her in her arms, Maya is right there too, she too is crying like her, there's nothing else they can do in that moment, but cry and apologize, apologize for not having been able to do more. She sees Maya as she tries to heal her in vain, her markings are glowing softly with effort, but its useless, so Lilith puts a hand on hers, and shakes her head to stop her before she can hurt herself.

Still, despite everything, Angel is smiling at them, she's thanking them even. Lilith doesn't deserve it, she doesn't deserve so much kindness, and, as Angel passes in hers and Maya's arms, she had never felt so much useless before, and she is sure, that Maya too feels the same way.

What happens after is a blur, she sees Jack one second too late, and he takes Roland away from her, shooting him in the back like the coward he is. She lunges for him but something is placed on her neck, constricting it, her head hurts as her powers are forcibly subdued. She has no time to react as she is grabbed by that same collar by the same very man that just killed her boyfriend, she struggles in his grasp, but the device is making her weak, and she can't get away. The more she struggles, the more it hurts.

Then there's Jack whispering in her ear, trying to get her to use her powers to kill the others. She doesn't want to, she doesn't want the others to die by her hand, she doesn't want Maya to die by her hand. Yet, to her horror, she feels the pulse of her powers around her, and her arm lifts on its own, her head hurts so badly, but she tries her best, she gives her all to resist and try to teleport them away to safety. As her power is unleashed, she can do nothing else but pray that they survived, that she survived.

Forcing herself to her fullest, she manages to speak through their minds, the process is exhausting, but she has to know if they were safe, or, if she had their blood in her hands too. Much to her worry, it is not the voice she is hoping to hear that answers her, its not Maya but Axton that replies, however, he does inform her that, even if hurt, they were all safe in Sanctuary, and they were alive.

Jack doesn't waste time with her, he wants her to pay for what she's done to him, so he immediately hooks her up so she can charge the key in Angel's place. She thought she was prepared to be injected with all the Eridium at his disposal, however, she is very, very wrong. The amount that is pumped through her is so much more than what she has ever taken before, it doesn't flow through her body giving her energy as usual, it burns through her veins, setting her nerves on fire, every fiber of her being hurts and there's nothing she can do to stop it, but just lay there and suffer through the process over and over again. He is merciless and keeps injecting her more and more, until her body gives out to exhaustion and she faints.

When she comes back, she fakes being unconscious for a little more, so she can finally collect her thoughts. Roland was gone and she failed to save him because she was too late, Angel too was gone, and she was another she couldn't help either, she had endured this for so long, Lilith has a hard time understanding how she managed through all this time without asking for help sooner. If she had realized it before, maybe Angel would have had a chance to survive. But she didn't, she failed, like she failed at everything else, and if this was her end, then, so be it. At least she'd stop messing up other people's lives.

She spares a thought to Maya too, thinking that, if she had been here in her place, she'd probably be dead, and honestly, Lilith is kind of glad that she happened to be the one held captive. Maya was unable to use Eridium, they had tried once on her request, she had managed to absorb it but her body just couldn't handle it, no rush of power, just pure pain. She remembered watching the other woman violently shake and reject what she had previously absorbed, vomiting it all back out in form of purple goo and blood. After said experience, Maya had sworn to never attempt that again, much to Lilith's relief.

She doesn't know how much time passes, all she knows is that Jack loves spending such time torturing her, hurting her and then watching as her skin mends itself so he can hurt her again and again, until he gets bored. All of it while laughing and taunting her, knowing she can't do anything but sit there and suffer, and he's determined to get as many screams out of her as he can. But she would not give him the satisfaction to see her that way, she won't beg him to stop, she won't cry, he didn't deserve it. The others were looking for her, all she had to do was resist.

And so she does, until finally they find her and Jack at the Vault. She can't see them in her position, suspended through the air like a doll held by an invisible tread, but, she knows they are there, she can hear their voices and the sounds of battle below her. Hearing Jack suffer and yell like a coward is so satisfying that she even allows herself to smile.

Her happiness doesn't last long as she realizes with much horror, that the key was fully charged by the time Jack is defeated. But he is still standing, and he plunges the key into his hole with no hesitation, while the stream of energy that was holding Lilith afloat is interrupted, as she falls hard on the ground with a grunt. She's more exhausted than ever, everything hurts, and she can't do anything but lie there. She hears Maya calling her name, she's kneeling close to her but the barrier between them is not letting her in. She also hears the Warrior's roar as he approaches, and she just hopes, that the Vault Hunters would be strong enough to take it down.

There's nothing she can do but lie there and watch the battle unfold with Jack at her side, he's barking commands at the creature and she can't even try to shut him up, as her body refuses to move.

She watches Maya the most, as the Siren does her best to keep herself and everyone else alive, giving commands left and right to direct the rest of the group to victory. Unfortunately Jack notices too, and he gives order to his monster to focus con her. Lilith doesn't manage to warn her as she soon is engulfed in flames, and she has to cover her ears to not listen to her friend's screams.

She sees her again once the flames subside, she's down on one knee, bloody, burned and coughing madly, as she struggles to keep herself together, she can't suppress a scream as Jack gives the order to finish her off, as she watches as the Warrior's tail collides with Maya and she is sent flying through the air and into the lava.

Tears flow freely from her eyes as she stares at the same spot where Maya was moments before, while Jack laughs, he laughs hard right next to her, at her misery and gloats for his success, but then, something unexpected happens. There's a blue blur of energy, an orb, it soars through the air and pierces through the Warrior's chest, killing it.

As Jack despairs, she sees her, fiery wings of fire and acid behind her as Maya flies back and lands right in front of them. Lilith can see that she's hurt, badly, really, really badly, but still she sneers triumphantly at Jack, as he breaks down in one of his monologues. Lilith makes sure that said sneer is the last thing he sees, as she finally finds her strength back and grabs his face and melts it in her hand without mercy.

She doesn't know how, but Maya manages to resist long enough to wait until they are all re-united and for her to grab the key, before collapsing on the spot, but Lilith is there and she catches her and take her back to Sanctuary before its too late.

It takes the combined efforts of Zed, Tannis, more citizens and all the medical supplies they can find, to help out Maya. Poor thing has burns everywhere and several broken ribs, along with other minor injuries, overall, its a lot, and Lilith believes that if it had been another person, they might have perished ten times over, but Maya is no regular person, just like her. She's a Siren and she's a badass.

Still, Lilith remains next to her in the following days, she orders the soldiers to put a bed in Maya's room so she can watch over her. The Siren had bandages all over her, and the sight makes Lilith feel sick, because partially it is her fault, again, and the other part, is just sad to see her her friend in such conditions.

Once she wakes up, Maya is quick to ease her worries, she assures her that she will be fine, and that what truly mattered, was that they stopped Handsome Jack and his reign of terror. Also, staying with her helps her deal with the loss of Roland too, and, even though she is struggles to do so, Maya lets her snuggle and cry into her chest, wrapping her arms around her.

Lilith makes sure to visit her every time she can, as the Commander, now she's much more busy, but she makes sure to spare time for her, always, and also, she does it for her own sake too, Maya's sole presence does wonders to her mood and her sanity. They talk of the most various things, the most important though, is her addiction to Eridium, Maya didn't hesitate in express her concerns for her, and she was right, it was getting troublesome, and she didn't want her to end up like Angel either, she herself didn't want to.

So, she decides to quit. They take the issue to Tannis, which helps them making up a plan, on how to steadily reduce the consume of Eridium, until she can fully stop using it. She is so glad that Maya is there during that moment of her life, because, while recovering herself, she helps her out in the meantime. Every single step along the way.

Getting rid of her addiction is easier said than done, because as soon as she starts taking less Eridium, she can feel the toll on her body very well, as it yearns for it. She gets tired easily, her mood swings are worse than ever, she gets tremors and insomnia. Its painful, but Maya is there with her, every time, she's there to take over when she can't lead the Raiders, she calms her down when she snaps, doesn't matter at who, she's patient, and never raises her voice at her, she's also there all the restless nights when she can't sleep, she holds her as she shakes. It wears Maya out too, but she's always there and never complains.

The only thing Lilith can do for her in exchange, is help her medicate her wounds, they take an awfully long time to heal, and she sees the pain in those gray eyes every time something or someone makes contact with them the wrong way, so she makes sure to be extra careful around her.

Its during these times they spend together that their bond deepens, they are not just friends anymore, there's something more between them, even if not tied by blood, they've become like sisters. And they would do anything to protect each other.

They eventually manage to heal, what comes next is a war to wipe out Hyperion off the map that drags on for almost a year. They don't know who did it, but once Helios crashed down on Pandora, they know its finally over.

But not completely over as Sanctuary gets attacked once again, this time there's an even worse threat, the infection that spreads kills most of the residents, and whoever is left, is forced to flee. Lilith uses her powers to teleport out as many people as she can, and, even if scattered around, they manage to regroup at a new camp.

The next days are spent between finding an antidote for this infection, before it spreads over to themselves too, and its even more of a rush, as Mordecai was hit too. Eventually, they manage, but the cost for taking out Hector and his plants is high, and Lilith is forced to sacrifice their beloved home in order to save everyone.

They lost everything once again, but still, they have each other, and more, as both Sirens discover there was a third one hidden between them. Tannis had covered up her markings for a long time, and only once she felt in control of her new powers, she revealed herself to them. Angel was long gone, but she had left them with a gift.

After that, the Raiders separate themselves from one another, each of them leaving for their own reasons, as Lilith, decides to stay and look for the map. Maya decides to return to Athenas, and she isn't sure why, recalling what little she knew of her past and how much the other Siren hated it, but she is determined to go back, she claims she has to. Lilith doesn't understand, but she doesn't stop her, however, she makes her promise to see each other again one day.

It passes years before she sees yet another Siren, she can't bring herself too much to think about knowing more of race during said time though, the now very much real threat of the Calypsos is decimating what little is left of the Raiders, and Lilith, now more than ever, needs allies and new people at her side.

But, she is more than happy when between the new recruits she sees Amara, she is different from the other Sirens she's met, she's buff and not afraid to show off, and also she's black. So far, they had been all white skinned Sirens, a bit surprising but the difference doesn't matter, Amara reveals to be just as strong and capable as the rest of them, and that's what counts in the end.

Also she calls her sister, and bit weird, but she accepts it, she likes it in fact, to the point that she herself starts calling the new Siren the same way herself. She seems surprised but not contrary.

Amara proves herself to be more than a reliable asset, along with the others too. They finally find the map for her, and, thanks to them, they can all finally leave Pandora and meet up again with the rest.

Its just before managing to leave, that she meets yet another of her kind, or rather, two. The Calypsos themselves are Sirens, at least, the female one appears to be. They want the map back, and Lilith makes the mistake of fighting them instead of running. She is cocky, thinking she can take of two people at once.

It costs her dearly, because a single small distraction and the female twin gets a hold her. She grabs her by then neck and saps away her strength as she chokes. She's sure she is going to kill her, she can't tell what happens clearly, as her head is too clouded for it, but somehow she is back on the ground. Next thing she recalls is someone beating her up and moving her around, the twins are talking, but she can't understand what they are saying. She can't do anything but let them use her like a doll, she can't move, she can't do anything but weakly call for help once they release her and leave.

She becomes aware of the bandits stalking towards her, and she's also well aware that her powers are gone, her left arm is now bare of those blue tattoos she always had since she was born, the very reason she came to Pandora in the first place all those years ago.

A bit of strength comes back to her, and she can make up the forms of Amara and the others that are fighting away the horde from her. Once they are all dead, her new Siren sister is the one helping her up, she's allowing her to lean on her, and helps her walk on the ship. The situation briefly reminding her on how she met Maya.

She has no time to assess the situation, of what happened to her powers, she's the one in charge and she has to be strong, for herself and everyone else. But, acutely aware of her weakness, she trust the fate of the Raiders in Amara and her friend's hands, she is sure they were more than capable of handling themselves on the field.

When the new Vault Hunters land on Promethea, she can spare a moment to herself. She dislikes this feeling of helplessness that invades her whole being. She never felt so useless since she watched Angel pass in hers and Maya's arms. Oh how she really would have loved one of the blue haired woman's hugs right now. Sure, Amara is nice enough, and she also offered her help, but there wasn't the same connection she has with Maya.

Which is why, when that Atlas guy, Rhys, mentions Athenas she beams, she tries to keep the happiness out of her voice, and miserably fails, every fiber of her being can't wait to see Maya again, talk to her and get to know what she's been up to.

She didn't expect the sight she was shown when she calls her, she's distressed, there's people attacking her, odd, considering the nature of Athenas itself. She doesn't need to explain anything to her, she already knows they are after the key fragment, and is very relieved to hear that she knows where it is. At least they didn't have to search. Still, Maliwan forces were attacking and, even if she knew that Maya could handle herself well, she'd rather not make her wait.

As soon as they reach Athenas, she's quick to send Amara and the others down, as much as she would have liked to go down there herself, she can't afford it. Fortunately, it all goes well, Maliwan flees from the planet, and they all return safely with the fragment, and Maya herself. What she did not expect though, was to see her with a young teen with her.

Regardless they spend some time catching up, she looks at her, and realizes, she changed a lot during the years. She's wearing pretty much the same outfit, but black, she has that long cape that gives her an even more mysterious vibe than when she met her, and the new haircut with the long hair at the front, is weird, but it fits her. And she just can't resist to wrap her arms around her and Maya does the same, not caring of the looks they're given. God it had been so long.

She finds out why Maya went back, and it was because of the fragment, but also she has the feeling its something more, she isn't convinced of the child she brought with her. Maya tells her that Ava was her siren apprentice, which confuses her even more, as the kid didn't appear to have any markings on her yet. But when she presses on, the other Siren is quick to shift the subject on her, and she doesn't question it, she knows that Maya must have been worried sick for her, no doubt she had seen that stupid mocking video the Calypsos made of her.

Lilith is quick to shrug it off, but when it gets late, Maya pretty much drags her down planetside, to her home, and guides her towards one of the tallest cliffs to watch the sunset with her. She finds that Athenas is a beautiful place, so peaceful and so much different from Pandora, there's something enchanting about this place.

They sit as they watch the sun disappear below the horizon, Maya tells how she would always come to this place when she felt lonely, somewhere where she could be at peace and remember the old times they had spent together. As she talks, she wraps her arms around Lilith again, leaning her head on her shoulder. She feels proud how, thanks to her, Maya has become much more open to displays of affection.

She just sits there and lets the other woman hold her for a long time, way past sundown and late into the night. And for a while Lilith forgets her problems, and lets herself relax for the first time in so many years. Maya once again proving to be an extremely calming presence for her.

She's happy to see her friend bond with Amara too, she likes to see as the newer Siren joins hers and the kid's training sessions, and sometimes Lilith joins too, at Maya's request. She wants her to feel included, to feel like she's still one of them, that she's still the Firehawk. But, one thing keeps puzzling her, Ava, how was Maya so sure that she would become a Siren at all?

Lilith asks both Amara and Tannis about it, but none of the two have an idea, even if, with Tannis having been the Siren to receive her powers from Angel, she makes up the hypothesis that Ava could receive her own powers the same way she did, when a Siren died. Which made sense, given that the leader of their enemy faction was also a Siren. Still, she has a feeling that Maya knew more than what she said, because each time she asked, she would always answer vaguely, or avoid the question completely, and this is something Lilith does not like one bit, it is so different, so not like her.

Maya's behavior becomes even more weird the night before they assault the Vault on Promethea. The first thing that doesn't click, its when she insists on not wanting anyone but the new group of Vault Hunters to tag along with her to the Vault, and Lilith knows it is not because she considers her, nor the others, weak. The second thing is when she sees her roaming all around the ship, giving whoever knows her remotely well, shoulder pats and kind smiles.

The last thing is when she asks her to spend the night together, and this time is Lilith the one that is comforting Maya as they lie on her bed. Maya is more snuggly and silent than usual, she holds on to her like her life depended on it. For most of the time she avoids meeting her eyes, but when she does, she sees a deep sadness and a great fear on those gray orbs.

But none of this clicks with her until she and the others reach the Vault, and she doesn't want to believe at the realization, she refuses to believe it, but it all makes sense. It all made sense, the way the other woman acted, how she avoided questions, her strange gestures from the previous night, the whole presence of Ava and how she was convinced of her fate of becoming a Siren.

Lilith now knows the truth, and she doesn't want it to happen, but unfortunately it does, and just like she thought, Maya does not make it back.

Ava blames her for it, and Lilith can't bring herself to say otherwise. She is right, she saw all the signs, they were evident, she should have pressed further, she should have stopped Maya from going, she should have done anything. But she didn't, and once again she is left with guilt gripping her heart.

It feels even worse than the other times she lost someone, its worse than ever. She can't stop a monster from impaling someone, she can't stop a poison to spread in someone's body, she can't stop a bullet from taking someone's life. But she could have stopped Maya from leaving, she should have seen it coming sooner, because, as much as it hurts to admit it, she is convinced that her friend knew something bad was going to happen to her. Maya knew she was going to die in that Vault, and, in her own way, she had said goodbye to them the night before. She was prepared to face her fate, that was why she had trained Ava to become a Siren, but not one with some random powers, but to take over her own. To take over what she had left behind.

But it wasn't right, it didn't feel right, why did the universe had to take her away from them all? Why did it have to be her? The kindest and best person she ever met in this damned universe, why did the best people all have to die? Why was Lilith still there? Just to suffer and be a failure, why hasn't this universe taken her life already? What good was she left alive here?

She's left weeping in her room, alone, because those familiar arms that held her so many times before when she cried, were gone, forever, and Lilith is left holding herself tightly, desperately trying to recreate that feeling once more, but she can't, no matter how hard she tries, it feels colder and more painful than ever.

She doesn't know how much time passes when someone knocks at her door, she doesn't bother hiding her pain as she invites the person in, it might be something important. She's inwardly relieved when she sees that its only Amara, and that she wants to check on her. Lilith can see that she is just sad as she is, even if the other woman tries to not let it show. She was even there when that thing happened too, and Lilith doesn't want to imagine how she, and the rest of her group must have felt in that moment. Totally helpless is the only assumption she makes.

Silently, Amara leaves something on her desk, an ECHO recording.

"Maya said to give you this after we came back from the Vault" she turns her back to her, but Lilith can see her shoulders shake. "I never wanted to see one of my sisters go the way she did" and she gets the feeling that Amara is blaming herself too.

"Nobody expected her to" nobody but her, but she saw it far too late.

They are silent for a bit, unmoving, lost in thought, before Amara speaks again. "Do you think she knew?"

So she did get the same feeling as her too, but somehow, it doesn't make her feel any better. She just nods.

"She was a brave one" Amara says again before leaving her alone, and Lilith can't do anything but agree with her.

Once she's alone again she stares at the recording for a moment, she probably knows what it is about, Maya had left a last message for her, and gave it to the person the trusted most with the task, which couldn't have been no one else but another Siren. She takes it in her trembling hands, she wants to hear her voice so badly, but she's so afraid to know what she had to say, Because these are her last words.

Gathering all the courage she has left, she turns it on, bracing herself for the worst.

"Lilith, if you're hearing this, it means I am already gone, but probably you already know. Listen, I know it is going to be hard, but please do not blame yourself, don't let anyone else blame themselves for what will happen to me, just... please... don't." There's a pause. "Its been a few months already, since I started having these weird dreams and visions, I see myself in this Vault, alone, and I can see myself vanishing, and it hurts so much. I am sure nothing of this is casual, this is a sign, I am sure that a grim fate awaits me in that Vault, and... I don't know if I'll even come back, with how trouble seems to follow us Sirens, chances are that I won't."

Lilith can hear Maya's voice cracking, yet she still continues.

"Its the reason why I have taken Ava with me, I have trained her with everything I know, she's a troublesome kid, but she doesn't mean bad. She's strong, and she's ready to take over my mantle, the only thing she needs are... my powers. Please, take care of her for me, she has already lost her parents, losing me will be just as hard for her to get over, so, please, help her, show her the love you have shown to me."

She's sure Maya was crying at this point, and she doesn't bother hiding it, she must have been hurting as much as she was now. If she was in her situation, Lilith doesn't know if she would have managed to stay strong the way she did.

"I wanted so much to tell you the truth, but I couldn't bring myself to, if you knew, you would have tried to stop me, also, I couldn't take you with me, I wouldn't be able to stand to see you watch me go, I don't want that the last image you'll have of me, to be myself suffering at the hands of whatever awaits me. I refuse to hurt you this way." there's another pause. "As hard as it is to accept, I believe that us Sirens are eventually destined to this, to sacrifice ourselves for something, something bigger that we can't understand, and if now its my turn to do so, I'll do what it has to be done. I'm scared, but, I know that whatever is going to happen, you won't let my sacrifice be in vain, keep fighting, don't give up."

It hurts her to keep listening, but Maya has more to say, and possibly these, are both the best and worst words she ever heard her say.

"I have one last thing to say, and possibly, this is the most important thing. I just want to thank you, the time I spent with you and the others, even if short, has been the best of my life. Thanks to you I know what it means to have friends, to care for someone, and most importantly to have someone that cares for you. So thank you, for having given me a chance. Farewell... Maya."

Lilith holds the recording close to her chest as more tears fall from her cheeks, but she promises, she promises that she'll make Maya's last wishes true. Its the only thing she can do, now that she couldn't anymore.

It is hard, but they keep going, they keep hunting, to try and stop those twins that had taken her friend's life, and powers, and that didn't care to shove it in their faces at every single occasion they get. But she doesn't let them get to her, she won't fall for their games, because she has someone to avenge, and when the time comes, she'll be the one laughing at them.

Fear grips at her heart once again when the Calypsos get a hold of Tannis too, she too like Maya decided to accompany the Vault Hunters alone, and even though she's been captured and not killed, she can't help but fear that the past might repeat itself.

She thrusts the matter in Amara's capable hands, she knows she and her group can handle themselves, she just hopes they will arrive in time. Thankfully, they do, and even if it takes Tannis the hassle of having to reveal her own Siren powers to the world, she is safely back on the ship once again. She doesn't have the same big friendship that had blossomed between her and Maya with the scientist, even if they've known each other for even longer, but she'll be damned if she failed another friend.

After the reveal, Ava grows restless, she's mad, and desires her own Siren powers, Maya's powers, and Lilith doesn't feel like blaming her, she can't, and actually, she understands. Maya's powers do not belong to that asshole that Troy was, which, hasn't hesitated to shove them right in their faces, he stole them from the new rightful owner, just like he had stolen Maya's life. Ava was the one her friend had chosen, and the one she promised to protect. She would have done so anyways, but the fact that Maya trusted her with it, made it even more important.

She places a hand on the kid's shoulder. "Don't worry kid, we'll get back what's yours." she pushes her forward, wanting her to follow. "Let's go, we have two assholes to kill."

"Wait, I can go too?"

"Do you want to avenge Maya or not?"

Ava doesn't need to be told twice, there's a renewed enthusiasm in her, it was time to get back what was rightfully theirs, and avenge their fallen friend. She tells everyone to make it painful, those two monsters don't deserve mercy for what they've done. They would pay back everything with interests.

No one pays Troy a good treatment, everyone is mad and they all have the same goal here, they have to kill him, do it for Maya. Lilith smiles at times as she shoots him, she hasn't taken pleasure to hear somebody scream in pain since she was held captive by Handsome Jack. Back then, it had been her friend to deliver him her pain, now its her turn to deliver this bastard an even greater pain.

Once he is down to his knees in front of her, beaten up and bleeding, he looks up to her, pleading to spare him, but she has no mercy left in her, not for him, he already took away too much from them.

She raises her pistol to his chest, glaring. "This is for her." she says.

"For Maya!" its a chorus of voices behind her, from every single one of them, they are waiting for her to end him, and she does not hesitate, as she pulls the trigger and watches him crumble at her feet.

Finally, what's left of Maya can return to them, and just as expected, Ava takes her heritage, and Lilith thinks that it fits her, it is right, it is what Maya herself would have wanted. She wishes her friend could come back too, but at least, the monster that took her away is now gone, and he can't hurt anyone else anymore.

However, Tyreen is still alive, and even if she attempts to kill them, Ava immediately puts Maya's teachings to use, she already knows what to do, as she saves them all, shielding them with her powers. Maya had prepared her for this all along.

This wasn't over, and they head to Nekrotefayo so they can attempt and try to stop Elpis from destroying Pandora. It is then, that Lilith starts having dreams too, she has her powers back, she sees the moon, and herself burning, and when she wakes up, she wonders if these were the kind of visions Maya was talking about in her message. And she wonders, if finally, it is her turn to to do her own part.

She ponders more on what Maya's words about sacrifice truly mean, and she believes in them even more once they find those Eridian writings in the ruins of Nekrotefayo. The voice of what appeared yet another Siren that lived centuries ago, Nyriad, confirms what her friend already thought about. Sirens were destined to be sacrificed for something greater than themselves, it was their fate. Maya knew, and now she did too.

Their attempt to stop Elpis goes horribly wrong, as Tyreen finds them and succeeds in sabotaging their plan, and if she had to be honest, Lilith already felt like it would have happened. What she didn't expect, was for Tyreen to kill her own father in cold blood, with no regrets, and in that moment, Lilith decides that Tyreen is no Siren, she isn't a sister of theirs like Amara, Tannis and Ava right there with her were, like her fallen friends Maya and Angel were, she can even consider throwing in Steele, in the end, she didn't know what she was like. Tyreen was a monster, and as such, she had to die.

And Lilith would write both of their destinies at the Vault, she would put an end to this woman and the Destroyer's life, how ironic that the same monster, that had taken away the life of the first Siren she had tried to approach was right in front of her once more. But this time she'll make sure it'll never come back again

Flanked by the rest of her friends, she fights that abomination. The battle drags on for what it feels an eternity, they are all tired and hurt but in the end, they succeed, this was the end, and neither Tyreen nor the Destroyer were no more. But she can't help but wonder, if it was this, the reason Maya had to give her life for, so they could get rid of this threat forever, she'll never know the answer, but thinking this way somehow makes her feel better towards the death of her friend, to think that this had been her final purpose, and even if had been so painful not not have her at their side anymore, and it still was, she thanks her for having done what was right.

As soon as her own powers come back to her, Lilith already knows what is coming, she feel her markings pulse on her skin as she stares at Elpis, as its still falling down on them, slowly, unrelenting. The moon pulls her towards itself like a magnet, and she knows, this is it. She'll be the one to stop its fall, to give her life to save countless others. And she isn't scared, she doesn't mind, it is what it is, its her destiny.

The Sirens she met, had faced their fates with no hesitation, and she would be no different.

She spares a few words, to leave Sanctuary III, their home to Ava. She knows she's a kid, but every time she looks at her, she sees Maya, she would have been worthy to take her place, had she been alive, so, she places her faith in the one holding her heritage.

Without wasting any more time, she flies, always forward towards Elpis, never looking back. She's left behind her so much, but she knows that her friends will be just fine even without her, she trusts them. She thinks at Maya, and everyone else that has perished during these wars, and wonders, would she see them again on the other side? Were they waiting for her?

Her body starts burning, and it hurts, but she pushes forward, colliding with the moon, unleashing all the power she has onto it, until she is Lilith no more, just pure energy. Energy bearing the mark of the Firehawk, her mark.

After that, she feels absolutely nothing, she's floating endlessly until someone reaches for her, taking her hand, and then another person, and another. When she opens her eyes, she sees them, they were all there. Maya, Roland, Angel, Scooter and all the others, all around her, they were indeed waiting.

Her purpose was fulfilled, she could rest now.

* * *

You made it to the end, sorry if it was so long, hopefully it wasn't too much.


End file.
